The culmination of the Royal Route, ten kilometres from the centre of Warsaw, this is a pretty bite-size Versailles with rococo roofline and formal French gardens than lead down to a riverbank straight out of a Pointilist painting. The palace was opened as a museum in 1805 by the then owners Aleksandra Potocka and Stanisław Kostka Potocki. After the Second World War the palace was restored to its appearance at the time of Jan III Sobieski and collections retrieved from Germany, Austria and Russia, and reopened to the public on September 12, 1962, on the anniversary of Sobieski’s victory over the Ottomans at Vienna.

Visiting notes: As numbers permitted to tour the rooms are limited, it is advisable and extremely easy to book online. As the museum is close to the airport (15/20 mins), it is worth noting that there is a good locker room in case you wish to bring your bags. Reservation enquiries: + 48 22 5442 850, bilety@muzeum-wilanow.pl